Manager Supports Gimpy Salmon

It’s almost as painful watching Tim Salmon run as it is for Salmon to actually run. The way he hobbles around the bases because of a partially torn ligament in his left foot, you fear Salmon might crumple to the ground at any moment.

The transition from right field to designated hitter and the constant pain in his foot have had an obvious impact on Salmon’s performance--he has only two hits in 21 at-bats since returning from the disabled list Saturday.

But Manager Terry Collins didn’t waver when asked if Damon Mashore or another player at 100% might be more effective than Salmon at a reduced rate. If the Angels are going to win, he said, they’re going to win with The Gimper.

“Whether Tim is 80% or 70%, his bat is still 100%,” Collins said. “Yes, it hurts when he runs, but not when he hits. To have his bat in the lineup is still big.”

Salmon showed signs of breaking out of his slump Thursday night, lining out to diving Blue Jay shortstop Alex Gonzalez in the fourth inning and driving a ball to the wall in right-center, where Shannon Stewart made a running catch in the seventh.

But with two on and two out in the eighth, Salmon swung at Blue Jay reliever Kelvim Escobar’s first pitch and popped to first in an eventual 5-4 loss to the Blue Jays.

“At this point I have a new lease on life because I’m happy to be in the lineup, but I am getting frustrated,” Salmon said. “Before, if I went 0 for 4, I could save a game on defense, or walk and score from first on a double. It’s hard coming to the park without all your tools.”

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The Angels’ loss to Toronto on Thursday night continued a distinct pattern--the Angels have alternated wins and losses for the last seven games, playing very well one night and poorly the next, getting clutch hits and great pitching one night and little of either the next.

“We’re like a piece of wood on a stream--we’re just floating along,” said pitcher Chuck Finley, who gave up four runs and 10 hits and struck out nine in a 6 1/3-inning outing Thursday night.

“We don’t really have any momentum forward or backward. We don’t really know where we’re going to go. Our starters haven’t pitched enough, our bullpen has been overworked.

“We have guys going on the DL, others coming off, and some contemplating whether they should. The whole mix is not good. The overall talent is still there, but we’re just out of whack right now.”

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The Blue Jays were successful on all five of their stolen base attempts against Angel catcher Matt Walbeck, who had the league’s third-best success rate throwing batters out. Juan Samuel was picked off first base during the game, which accounts for the caught stealing in the box score. . . . Third baseman Dave Hollins committed a throwing error in the eighth inning, his first error since April 4 and second of the season. . . .

Troy Glaus watch: The Angels’ double-A third baseman hit his Texas League-leading 18th homer Wednesday against Arkansas. A first-round pick last June, Glaus is batting .336 with a league-leading 47 RBIs . . . Jack McDowell threw off a mound Thursday for the first time since going on the disabled list because of an inflamed elbow April 27. The right-hander threw for 10 minutes in the SkyDome bullpen, stopped, and then for another 12 minutes, mixing a few split-fingered pitches and curveballs with his fastball. Pitching coach Marcel Lachemann said McDowell “looked fine,” and will throw again Sunday. . . . Toronto ace Roger Clemens left the team Thursday and returned to his home in Houston, where his wife, Debra, is apparently suffering from kidney stones, the same ailment Angel bullpen coach Joe Coleman had this week. Coleman believes he passed his stone late Wednesday night and was able to accompany the team to Toronto.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ KEN HILL (6-1, 3.16 ERA) vs. BLUE JAYS’ PAT HENTGEN (4-3, 5.56 ERA)

SkyDome, Toronto, 4 PDT.

TV--Channel 9. Radio--KRLA (1110), XPRS (1090).

* Update--Hentgen grew up in suburban Detroit and was a big fan of Angel first baseman Cecil Fielder, the former Tiger slugger who played 7 1/2 seasons for Detroit. And Fielder is a big fan of Hentgen--he has a .375 average (18 for 48) with eight home runs and 16 RBIs against the Toronto right-hander. Angel third baseman Dave Hollins is not a big fan of the SkyDome, though. He has a .119 average (five for 42) in Toronto’s home park, and that’s one reason Collins said he will rest Hollins tonight. Collins was going to use Randy Velarde at designated hitter in place of Salmon until Velarde suffered a relapse of his elbow injury Thursday night.